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Celebrating Service and School Spirit The Forest Acres Police Department (FAPD) is celebrating the retirement of K9 Indy after four years of dedicated service to the department and the local community. During her time in Forest Acres, she grewto be much more than a member of the department—she became a familiar and beloved face at community events throughout the city and a wonderful ambassador for FAPD’s commitment to community policing.Before joining FAPD, Indy served with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and she is retiring after working beyond the typical length of service for a police K9. Forest Acres City Council…
Protecting Young Minds By Rodman Frost It’s 2026, and kids are online endlessly. It’s their everyday world—one where they learn, play, socialize, and even shop. And more and more often, they’re doing it unsupervised. Their digital lives are often a hidden world, and buried beneath the shiny surface of media reels and gaming chats lies a dark side of bullies, scams, and other perils.Lisa Kejr with Lighthouse for Life, an organization dedicated to eradicating human trafficking, explains: “I work for an organization that fights sex trafficking, and the unfortunate reality is that traffickers are choosing to use social media and…
Continued Hope By Lauren Delk We all love stories with a happy ending, don’t we? We long to see wrongs made right, relationships work out, and sickness healed. If I would have written my story just a few short years ago, it would have included a breast cancer chapter with a happy ending. But today, my story continues as a 40-year-old wife and mother living with incurable stage IV metastatic breast cancer. My story is now one of choosing hope, peace, and joy, regardless of how the chapter may end.My cancer journey began a decade ago with an early-stage breast…
Her Last Show of Strength By Chris Hadley My mom was a fiery, tiny, beautiful dark-haired lady. She grew up in a small mill town in South Carolina with a single mom. Her father, who was a brilliant electrician, was also a raging alcoholic, so her parents divorced early. This was the start of a terrible cycle, as she would later suffer the same fate as her mother.Mom met Dad while out on the town one night, across the mighty Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia. Young and blonde, Dad was recently stationed at Fort Gordon and preparing for deployment to…
By Denise Dickinsen When people hear the word hospice, they often assume it means giving up. In reality, hospice is aboutchoosing comfort, dignity, and quality of life when a cure is no longer the goal. It’s about making the most of every moment—a philosophy that reflects a simple truth: it’s about how you live.Hospice care focuses on the whole person, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs while providing compassionate support for family members. A team of nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, nursing assistants, and trained volunteers works together to help individuals remain as comfortable and independent as possible.One of hospice’s…
Spooky & Sweet Little Treats Whether you are just getting into the spirit of Halloween before taking the family trick-or-treating orthrowing a full-blown monster bash, the recipes below have all the ingredients you need to create somefrightening and festive fun. Oreo Truffle Eyeballs INGREDIENTS:1 package Oreo cookies (about 36 cookies)8 oz. cream cheese, softened15 oz. chocolate melting wafers2-3 oz. white chocolate melting wafers DIRECTIONS:Add one package of Oreo cookies to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a large mixing bowl and add softened cream cheese. Stir until mixture is smooth and fully combined. Roll the…
Orchards Await By Guy Smith September brings Labor Day, football, an occasional break in the sweltering central South Carolinaweather, and loads of free community concerts and events. It also means that the mountains begin to call those that listen.One of the joys of living in Lexington County is the ability to be at the beach or on a mountain within a matter of a few hours. Either direction brings beauty and a welcome diversion, but September in the mountains means it is apple time! My wife and I have, for years, planned a fall trip (or two) to the SouthCarolina…
By Kelly Shank Years ago, I remember walking past a preschool as I was pushing my son in his stroller. While I watched the children playing outside, I stood there and cried. We had made the decision to remove our son from preschool to focus on therapies at that time. I recall feeling completely at a loss because all I wanted was to feel like everyone else: I wanted my child to be on that playground, and I did not want the life that I was having to walk. Fast forward almost seven years—and an autism diagnosis later—and I still…
Sept/Oct 2026 School has started, and some routines have been established for both kids and adults.Since there are so many children that rely on the internet for entertainment and school, wewanted to provide a few technology tips for parents. In this edition, you will find information on equipping you and your teens on how to stay safe in the “Digital Jungle.” Cyber-bullying and online chat rooms are at our kids’ fingertips, and it is up to parents to be aware of their children’s activities online. Our Town Magazine is passionate about helping parents keep their children safe and happy. We…
A Timeless Vision Takes Shape: Forest Acres’ Future Park Comes Into Focus By Lynnsey Baker The vision for the Richland Mall redevelopment project, located at the junction of Beltline Boulevard and Forest Drive, has been years in the making.Now, residents are getting their clearest look yet at what the future could become. With Forest Acres City Council’s approval of updated plans and renderings for the six-acre Mall Park and Amphitheater, the city’s long-term vision for the site is coming into focus. What was once a collection of concepts and ideas has evolved into a cohesive plan for a destination that…